Bangladesh film festival inaugurated in Guwahati

Bangladesh Film Festival Begins in Guwahati, Assam. PTI via devdiscourse. PNG

Bangladesh Information and Broadcasting Minister Hasan Mahmud on Thursday stressed the vital role that films can play in enhancing cultural and people-to-people ties between his country and India.

Mahmud was speaking while inaugurating the first Bangladesh Film Festival here to celebrate the birth centenary of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujibur Rahman and the golden jubilee of the independence of the neighbouring country.

The festival, which will continue through the first half of March beginning from Friday at different venues in Guwahati, is being organised by the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting, Bangladesh, in association with the Assistant High Commission of Bangladesh, Guwahati.

Mahmud pointed out that India and Bangladesh were one country but the Partition in 1947 led to disruption in the connectivity.

''People of both the countries speak almost the same language, live along the banks of the same rivers. But political boundaries have disrupted our connectivity,'' he said. Governments of both the countries have been working on re-establishing connectivity through roads, rails and water between the two neighbours and increasing economic cooperation, the minister said. Underlining that people-to-people connect is equally important for taking forward economic ties, Mahmud said, ''For enhancing cultural relations and people-to-people ties, films play an important role. And hence, we decided to hold the festival here.

''We hope to make it a regular event.'' The Bangladesh minister also highlighted the role of films in ''helping humans remain humane'' in the present technology-driven, materialistic world.

Assam Forest and Environment Minister Parimal Suklabaidya, along with other dignitaries, were also present at the inaugural ceremony. – PTI via devdiscourse